05/15/2024
Few people know that the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred on April 26, 1986, could have led to even more horrifying consequences—possibly the greatest in the history of man-made catastrophes. After the first explosion at the Chernobyl NPP, at least two more, even more powerful, explosions could have occurred, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, not only in the USSR. As the wife of Major General and Hero of the Soviet Union Leonid Telyatnikov, who was also among the first responders, says, "The phrase that the Chernobyl firefighters saved Europe is not just pretty words. Nearby were four nuclear reactors loaded with fuel rods... If a chain reaction and nuclear explosion had occurred, Europe would indeed have ceased to exist. The guys understood the dangers of working in a high-radiation zone, but nevertheless, they localized the fire."
The first fire unit, led by watch commander Vladimir Pravik, arrived at the accident site just a few minutes after the explosion. Soon after (as the fire was assigned the third level of complexity—the highest), all nearby fire brigades from the surrounding towns were dispatched to the scene. The firefighting efforts continued until morning: over several long hours of battling the blaze, the firefighters extinguished the fire over an area of about 300 square meters. A total of 69 fire service personnel were involved in extinguishing the fire at the Chernobyl NPP. However, the first to begin fighting the fire, despite the deadly radiation exposure, were 28 men. Each of them, pushing their limits, did everything possible to prevent the fire from spreading and to extinguish it as quickly as possible.
But did they know that they would have to fight not only the fire? To withstand radiation—this they were not taught, this they were not told about. That night, the firefighters tried to extinguish the fire, dressed in ordinary uniforms, not in special gear. They worked at a height of over 70 meters under the constant threat of new explosions, in conditions of severe radiation exposure... Later, high-ranking officials would say: "Their feat is equal only to great epochal events for the sake of peace and all the people."
